Every time this time of the year, emotional tempers run high.... Suddenly people become aware of the culture of our country. They profess culture, they practice culture and how? By ruining the Valentine's Day celebrations of some young love birds here and there. The process has been going on for a long time but every year it seems murkier.... This year a new name was added to the list of the moral police - Ram Sene. The Ram Sene attacked some women in a Mangalore. They say that the pub culture is destroying the Indian culture. However, I would like to know which Indian culture do they boast of. These are the men who pass lewd comments at girls at a bus stop, these are the who whistle their lungs out during movies, these are the men who will beat up their women and children after having a drink or two at the local wine shop. The list is endless. However, what is the most disturbing is the virulence in the process which at the best renders the possibility of nuanced reading.
Globalisation has changed a lot of things in our country but its most distinguished impact has come out in terms of the growing opportunity for women in the society. It has allowed free access to top paying jobs for the women, who for the first time since independence are finding themselves at the helm of power. This however creates a conflict of sorts. These women are torn between the conventional and the modern. Some prefer to maintain a low profile and play a second fiddle in the relationships they pursue. However, the rest chose otherwise. These women want to break free and are justified in doing so, but the moral police of our country who unfortunately are constituted of no good for nothing fools are opposed to their freedom. The problem is not with the culture but with the mind set. Men in our country are used to dominating, but these women seriously jeopardise their claims for the ultimate authority. The result is a clash between the sexes which often gets physical. It is sad that the women in the Mangalore pub were beaten up. This episode has fetched the Ram sene unprecedented publicity but at the height of the matter it is not the outcome of cultural biases but of gender biases. The women as a mark of protest are sending Pink undies to Mr. Muthalik. Albeit funny, this is a strong gesture. This shows that the women of our country are no more prepared to be bend down to the hegemony of the hooligans. But again this is India and outcomes pour out in a trickle. I would like to see how this issue is dealt with.
Globalisation has changed a lot of things in our country but its most distinguished impact has come out in terms of the growing opportunity for women in the society. It has allowed free access to top paying jobs for the women, who for the first time since independence are finding themselves at the helm of power. This however creates a conflict of sorts. These women are torn between the conventional and the modern. Some prefer to maintain a low profile and play a second fiddle in the relationships they pursue. However, the rest chose otherwise. These women want to break free and are justified in doing so, but the moral police of our country who unfortunately are constituted of no good for nothing fools are opposed to their freedom. The problem is not with the culture but with the mind set. Men in our country are used to dominating, but these women seriously jeopardise their claims for the ultimate authority. The result is a clash between the sexes which often gets physical. It is sad that the women in the Mangalore pub were beaten up. This episode has fetched the Ram sene unprecedented publicity but at the height of the matter it is not the outcome of cultural biases but of gender biases. The women as a mark of protest are sending Pink undies to Mr. Muthalik. Albeit funny, this is a strong gesture. This shows that the women of our country are no more prepared to be bend down to the hegemony of the hooligans. But again this is India and outcomes pour out in a trickle. I would like to see how this issue is dealt with.
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